Video Series “Only in Japan”: Part 1 – Bicycle Valet

Let me introduce for you the first in our series of “Only in Japan” videos, made by two professional screenwriter/directors while they were living in Tokyo.

Simon Adams (who provided a previous article as a guest writer), and Andrew Johnson were pleased to offer us the “exclusive” internet screening rights (yeah right..) to their vids for stippy.com. We will introduce one “Only in Japan” video every week, for the next 4 or 5 weeks, so come back soon..!

For those who have been to Japan (or are stuck here like us), you surely wouldn’t have missed the bicycle parking area attendants (job description: bike mover), who swarm upon weary cyclists who dare to enter their mama-chari domains – there is no escaping them. Bicycle parking attendants took a stronghold in Japan after the「自転車の安全利用の促進及び自転車等の駐車対策の総合的推進に関する法律」(quite a mouthful for a law about bike parking lots!) was introduced in 1981.
This video is a funny parody of these dedicated ojisans, who guard the bike parking areas of all kinds of facilities, from shopping centres and universities to community halls and kindergartens, and every other area where cycles tend to cluster. These angry おっさん who follow this strange career path are the first target for our “Only in Japan” video series.

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